This invention relates to an apparatus for breaking textile fiber bales in which a plurality of serially arranged textile fiber bales are, at their underside, opened by at least two closely spaced and serially arranged endless spiked aprons or spiked rolls (hereafter designated as breaker members). The spikes of any breaker member are inclined in a direction opposite to the inclination of the spikes belonging to an adjacent breaker member.
In a known bale breaker, a series of textile fiber bales are, by means of closely spaced, serially arranged conveying means, moved back and forth while they are being opened at their underside. In such an apparatus, the breaker members serve simultaneously as conveying means and as bale openers. Further, in such an arrangement, the bales are situated directly on the conveying means and are moved back and forth during the bale breaking process. The number of the conveying means approximately corresponds to that of the bales handled simultaneously. With such a simple bale breaker, a high efficiency in the breaking and mixing of the textile fiber bales may be achieved. As a rule, in such a bale breaker apparatus, there are provided two parallel-spaced bale guiding walls which extend in the working direction, preventing a lateral toppling of the bales which, in most cases, are unstable after the bale ties are removed. Viewing in the working direction, the bales are adjoined by other unstable bales, so that under certain conditions it is conceivable that a bale may topple in the working direction as well.